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Hagit Yakira

Lecturer and Choreographer

Dance

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Laban Building
Creekside
London
SE8 3DZ

Tel: +44 (0)20 8691 8600

Email: h.yakira@trinitylaban.ac.uk

Area of Work

Teacher in the One-Year Programme, evening classes and summer school, guest choreographer, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Martin Hargreaves, workshop leader, artist in residency of The Laban Theatre.
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Biography

Award winning Israeli choreographer Hagit Yakira founded Hagit Yakira Dance Company in 2007 and has since gone on to tour the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Israel. So far she has created six works for her company amongst many other commissioned works for other companies and students. Two of her company works were awarded: first prize for ‘Oh Baby’ in the ‘Kajaani Choreography Competition’, Finland 2009, and second prize for ‘Somewhere between a self and another’ in the ‘Burgos New York Choreography Competition’ (New Dance Trend Category), Spain 2007. She has toured in numerous festivals and dance platforms in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and in Israel. She has also been choreographing for different companies and institutions around Europe and the UK as well as leading performance projects and workshops for both professional dancers and the community. 

Teaching Experience

 

Hagit has been a teacher and a guest choreographer at Trinity Laban and at The Place and since summer 2011 she has delivered workshops at ImPulsTanz, Vienna. Recently Hagit has been choreographing and teaching in Norway, and has been invited to collaborate with the Stavanger University in 2014. Hagit has been developing a unique style and way of teaching. She is constantly in demand to deliver classes for professional dancers and the community around the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Israel. They are received with great success and she has many dedicated followers. Hagit’s training commenced at the Music and Dance Academy in Jerusalem, Israel. After qualifying as a Dance Movement Therapist in 2004, Hagit relocated to London where she completed an MA in European Theatre Dance (2005). 2013 will see Hagit choreographing her new work, teaching in Vienna, Hungary and Israel, alongside undertaking a PhD in Choreography at Trinity Laban, researching the notion of choreographing autobiographies.Hagit’s aim is to develop a personal approach, which is based on close collaboration with various artists working within different art forms. In her work she explores different aspects of human relationships, by playing with fiction and reality, emotion and feeling, and by shifting between drama and humour. Her approach in general as well as to the movement research, is based on autobiography and emotions, and is being informed by her background as a dance movement therapist alongside her background as a performer and a choreographer.

Qualifications / Educational Background

2010-Present: Trinity Laban Centre, UK. 
PhD in Practical Practices, focusing on Choreography,researching new possibilities of choreographing autobiographies; negotiating autobiographical practices as being analysed by feminist theories.

The contemporary class is a dynamic and physical class combining elements from Release and Limon techniques, as well as emphasising expertise in improvisation, contact improvisation, Yoga and somatic work.
The Contemporary Jazz class is unique in its various dance techniques. It is a physical, energetic and fun class, which combines set material with some improvisation, vocal work and different dance routines. 

2004-­2006: Trinity Laban Centre, UK.
 MA European Theatre Dance with emphasize on choreographing and performance.

2000-­2003: Seminar Hakibuzim College, Israel. 
Diploma and Certificate in Dance Movement Therapy. (Equivalent to MA studies).

1995-­1999: The Rubin Academy for Dance and Music, Israel. 
BA in Dance Studies and Teaching certification. Emphasis on performance and choreography.

1987-­1993: The Rubin Academy for Music and Dance, Israel. A level in dance (junior high school and high school).

Teaching Experience

Hagit has spent years teaching in Israel, working as a Contemporary, creative and Contemporary-Jazz teacher for professional dancers and amateurs.

Since coming to London, Hagit has been teching:

Summer 2013

Teaching in ImpulsTanz Vienn, Devil Dance Festival Hungary, Clean Break London, Bikurei Haetim Tel Aviv, Summer school Laban London. Leading creative workshop for the NHS Arts Therapists Organisation.

August 2013

Collaborating with the choreographer Siri Dydwik, Stavanger, Norway, leading a performance project for her company.

February 2013

A guest choreographer for BA4 students in Stavanger, Norway, creating a piece for 4 weeks. As well as leading the contemporary morning classes for their final technique assessment.

March 2013

Leading the professional classes at Greenwich Dance Agency, London.

Summer 2012


Leading workshops for professional dancers and the community in ImpulsTanz festival (Vienna, Austria), and Ordogkatlan festival (Hungary), and Bickurei Haetim festival (Tel Aviv, Israel).

Spring 2012

  • Dance United, London-­‐ Choreographing a new piece ‘Just Dance’.
  • Clean Break, London-­‐ in collaboration with The Place, teaching dance.
  • Big Dance – in collaboration with the Jewish Community Centre, London, leading a performance project to children.

Autumn 2011

  • TanzCompagnie Giessen, Germany-­‐ Choreographing the piece “Anna Blue”.
  • Laban Centre, London-­‐ Leading a choreographic project for the One Year Programme based on the piece ‘Sunday Morning’.

July 2011

ImpulsTanz Vienna International Festival-­‐ Teaching two workshops for beginners and advanced level.

Feb 3rd -­ April 12th 2011

The Place, London-­‐ Leading a performance project for Bloomberg. The ‘Bloomberg staff project’ was a creative project for 15 employees of the company, which culminated in a performance at The Place, London.

2010 -­ 2011

Birkbeck, University of London-­‐ Leading a Choreography course for the undergraduate students.

2009 -­ Present

  • Leading creative workshops based on the choreographic process of the company in various festivals and dance centres around the UK, Europe and Israel-­‐ to name a few: Derby Dance; Dansebase, Edinburgh; Dance house, Glasgow; University of Hertfordshire; TanzCompagnie Giessen, Germany; Roehampton University, London; and Gaaton, Seminar Hakibuzim, Jerusalem Academy in Israel. The workshops involve movement improvisation with Movement Dance Therapy principles (mainly the Authentic Movement method).
  • Laban Centre, London-­‐ Leading Performance Projects for the One Year Programme and the Community group by creating a piece for a selected number of students. The Performance Project is a creative work, a process which culminates in a choreographed piece performed at the Laban Theatre. The aim is to give the students a ‘taste’ of a creative process with a choreographer.
  • The Place, London-­‐ Leading the Performance Project for the community, a 12 weeks research and development course that which culminates in a choreographed piece performed to an audience.

2004 -­ Currently

Laban Centre; The Place; Danceworks, London-­‐ Teaching Contemporary and Contemporary Jazz.

2004 -­ 2009

Jewish Dance Institution, London-­‐ Creative work and Israeli Folk Dancing for youth and adults groups.

 

Creative Outputs

Hagit has her own dance company – Hagit Yakira Dance.

Hagit is leading creative and technique workshops all around the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Israel.

Hagit is a guest choreographer and teacher at University of Stavanger, Norway

Hagit is a guest choreographer for dance company and dance groups around UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Israel.

Hagit is leading one to one classes for professional dancers and for people with no dance background, combining her expertise as a dance movement therapy in a unique style.

 

Awards 

First prize for ‘Oh Baby’ in the ‘Kajaani Choreography Competition’, Finland 2009.

Second prize for ‘Somewhere between a self and another’ in the ‘Burgos New York Choreography Competition’ (New Dance Trend Category), Spain 2007.

Hagit was selected to perform at the British Dance Edition 2014 with her new work: ‘…in the middle with you’.